[Radiation therapy of carcinomas of the oral tongue and floor of mouth (experiences with 266 cases from 1950 to 1975) (author's transl)].

We report 266 patients, who were treated in the Universitätsklinik für Radiotherapie und Nuklearmedizin Zürich between 1950 and 1976. The relationship of the radiation dose to the tumor control and complication rate in various stages is analysed. In early stages, local control is achieved by a dose about 2200 ret. This dose is applicable without an undue complication rate by interstitial radiation with or without combination with percutaneous irradiation. The cure rate in this early stage is about 70 to 90% by irradiation. The cure rate in the stage T2N0 is about 50%, in T3N0 about 20% and in the other stages with cervical node metastases between 10 and 20%. In the majority of the locally advanced cases, a combined therapy with irradiation and surgery should be performed. In cases with multiple or fixed neck nodes, a combined therapy should be performed. In cases with a single neck node metastasis which is not too large, radiotherapy mostly is sufficient. In most cases with TxN0, prophylactic neck irradiation is indicated.